The present invention relates to a hedge clipper or trimmer having, as a drive motor, an internal combustion engine that is to be started by hand. By means of a clutch and a gear mechanism, the motor drives cutting blades in a reciprocating motion. The cutting blades are guided and held on a cutter bar that ends in a housing that contains the gear mechanism. Disposed on the output side of the coupling is a brake drum around which extends a brake band, the first end of which is fixed to the housing and the second end of which is held on a pivotable brake lever. A brake spring urges the brake band into engagement against the brake drum. The brake lever is adjustable via a release lever against the force of the spring into an inoperative position of the band brake.
For hedge clippers that are driven by an internal combustion engine, the drive of the gear mechanism that moves the cutting blades back and forth is effected by a centrifugal clutch, the clutch housing of which is non-rotatably connected with the gear mechanism and hence with the cutting edges. When the internal combustion engine is started by a rope pull starter, operating situations may occur that enable unintentional engagement of the centrifugal clutch and hence a driving of the cutting blades. For safety reasons, a brake is therefore required that is to be engaged during starting and should ensure that even in the event of an unintentional engagement of the centrifugal clutch at the time of starting, a driving of the cutting blades of the cutter bar is prevented.
It is known to dispose a brake band on the output side of the centrifugal clutch, generally on the clutch housing which is used as the brake drum, and to actuate the brake band by means of a brake lever. The brake lever is acted upon by the force of a brake spring in the direction of application of the brake band. The brake lever can be switched into an inoperative position by a Bowden cable against the force of the brake spring, in which case the switching lever for the band brake is disposed in the vicinity of the handle of the hedge clippers.
Although a band brake that can be switched in this manner has shown to be effective in practice, its construction and actuating elements are structurally complicated and expensive.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a hedge clipper of the aforementioned general type in such a way that a band brake provided therefor can be operated and switched in a straightforward and operationally reliable manner with little technical expenditure.